Radio Free Mutant Town part 5: Video Killed the Radio Star
Title: Radio Free Mutant Town part 5: Video Killed the Radio Star
Fandom: X-Men
Characters: Jono, Jubilee, Angelo (Fuck you, Chuck Austen!), and some OCs and old familiar faces.
Prompt: 52. Indescribable
Word Count: 547
Rating: PG
Summary: He just has to play something.
The building looked like it was ready to collapse on the slightest provocation. Graffiti coated the grungy brick walls of what had been a nice brownstone, once upon a time. Jono climbed the crumbling steps of the stoop, almost falling when a bit came off right under his foot. The door opened just as he reached the top, and music spilled out into the air. An old folk song about the boy who never came home from soldiering.
Jono straightened, walking into what once would have been the foyer, but had been remodeled into a remarkably clean reception room. The furniture was worn, but well cared for, and the paint on the walls looked fairly fresh. A radio sat on top of the reception desk, telling lost Johnny’s story while a boy with a Mohawk the color of cotton candy and skin the color of an avocado flipped through a magazine. Jono walked up to the desk, and Mohawk bared looked up. “WelcometoRadioFreeMutantTownhowcanIhelpyou?”
Jono dropped the business card on the desk. I was asked to come here, he said as the last strains of the song died. They Might Be Giants followed, singing the praises of Particle Man.
“Thenyou’retheguyshe’sbeentalkingabout. Gostraightbacktillyouhitthestudio. Can’tmissit.” Mohawk pointed to the door.
Jono considered the door for a very long moment before going through. This part of the building had been remodeled too, with doors lining both sides of the hall. At the end was a large room, walled off with glass. A bright pink ‘On Air’ sign hung over the door, currently unlit. Jono could see the woman from the day before, sitting at the control panel with a pair of extra large head phones clamped over her ears.
She looked up as Jono approached, lighting a cigarette and giving him a smirk. She waved him in, blowing smoke rings as she did so.
“You brought the guitar. Excellent.” She jabbed her cigarette in the direction of the booth’s other chair. “Sit down. You ever been on radio before?”
***
“Stop playing with that,” Jubilee’s new boss sighed, pulling the radio out of her reach. “I bought add time on that station and I wanna make sure they do good.”
“But this song is so lame,” Jubilee muttered under her breath, pulling her hand away from the dial. “Who liked Blue October, anyway?”
***
“So, you used to be with the X-Men?” the waitress asked, leaning against the counter while added the root beer to the floats. “That is so cool.”
Angelo shrugged eloquently. “Not that cool. Way too much drama for me. Mama Espinosa didn’t raise her boy to put up with that kinda stuff.” He shot the reptilian mutant an almost-smile that had often served him in good stead before his skin had gotten all droopy and grey. She smiled back, then jerked her head towards the radio.
“Turn it up a bit? I love this song.”
“For you? Sure.” Angelo nudged the volume control with a fingertip, loading up the waitress’ tray with his other hand. “So, you doing anything after work?”
She giggled. “I’ll have to check my calendar, but I’m pretty sure I’ve got the night free.”
Fandom: X-Men
Characters: Jono, Jubilee, Angelo (Fuck you, Chuck Austen!), and some OCs and old familiar faces.
Prompt: 52. Indescribable
Word Count: 547
Rating: PG
Summary: He just has to play something.
The building looked like it was ready to collapse on the slightest provocation. Graffiti coated the grungy brick walls of what had been a nice brownstone, once upon a time. Jono climbed the crumbling steps of the stoop, almost falling when a bit came off right under his foot. The door opened just as he reached the top, and music spilled out into the air. An old folk song about the boy who never came home from soldiering.
Jono straightened, walking into what once would have been the foyer, but had been remodeled into a remarkably clean reception room. The furniture was worn, but well cared for, and the paint on the walls looked fairly fresh. A radio sat on top of the reception desk, telling lost Johnny’s story while a boy with a Mohawk the color of cotton candy and skin the color of an avocado flipped through a magazine. Jono walked up to the desk, and Mohawk bared looked up. “WelcometoRadioFreeMutantTownhowcanIhelpyou?”
Jono dropped the business card on the desk. I was asked to come here, he said as the last strains of the song died. They Might Be Giants followed, singing the praises of Particle Man.
“Thenyou’retheguyshe’sbeentalkingabout. Gostraightbacktillyouhitthestudio. Can’tmissit.” Mohawk pointed to the door.
Jono considered the door for a very long moment before going through. This part of the building had been remodeled too, with doors lining both sides of the hall. At the end was a large room, walled off with glass. A bright pink ‘On Air’ sign hung over the door, currently unlit. Jono could see the woman from the day before, sitting at the control panel with a pair of extra large head phones clamped over her ears.
She looked up as Jono approached, lighting a cigarette and giving him a smirk. She waved him in, blowing smoke rings as she did so.
“You brought the guitar. Excellent.” She jabbed her cigarette in the direction of the booth’s other chair. “Sit down. You ever been on radio before?”
***
“Stop playing with that,” Jubilee’s new boss sighed, pulling the radio out of her reach. “I bought add time on that station and I wanna make sure they do good.”
“But this song is so lame,” Jubilee muttered under her breath, pulling her hand away from the dial. “Who liked Blue October, anyway?”
***
“So, you used to be with the X-Men?” the waitress asked, leaning against the counter while added the root beer to the floats. “That is so cool.”
Angelo shrugged eloquently. “Not that cool. Way too much drama for me. Mama Espinosa didn’t raise her boy to put up with that kinda stuff.” He shot the reptilian mutant an almost-smile that had often served him in good stead before his skin had gotten all droopy and grey. She smiled back, then jerked her head towards the radio.
“Turn it up a bit? I love this song.”
“For you? Sure.” Angelo nudged the volume control with a fingertip, loading up the waitress’ tray with his other hand. “So, you doing anything after work?”
She giggled. “I’ll have to check my calendar, but I’m pretty sure I’ve got the night free.”